Our Featured Publications

Vincent van Gogh: An Anthology

The Extraordinary Life & Legacy of the Celebrated Artist
in Four Beautifully Illustrated, Well-Researched Volumes

Authors William J. Havlicek and David A. Glen, in this seminal anthology, continue to enhance and enrich
Vincent van Gogh’s life and legacy with in-depth research, embracing the one person hitherto and largely ignored:
Johanna van Gogh-Bonger, his sister-in-law. For without Johanna, little of the inimitable Vincent would ever have become known.This important collection of four books, which includes renowned Van Gogh historian Ton de Brouwer’s comprehensive
treatise Van Gogh and Nuenen, provides new insight into the artist’s life, true character, and his artistic genius.

Available soon as a stand-alone bookor together with the 4-book anthology.

Reserve your copy now … pay later.

Our books about the extraordinary life and legacy of Vincent van Gogh
are without doubt the most illuminating and enjoyable to read, written by some of
the foremost scholars on the celebrated artist, and beautifully illustrated in full color.

Each of the four books in our Anthology may be bought separately, or all four books as a collection.

All four books as a collection: USD $69.95 (approx. 30% savings)
+ $17.95 postage within the USA ($24.95 elsewhere)

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“… what remains for me is a pictureof sun-drenched exuberance under thatvast African sky—a Van Gogh painting whosebold, profuse brushstrokes and vibrant colorsare the distillation of times gone by and allthat happened to us. It’s a happy canvasthat I gaze at a lot.”

Beneath an African Sky

Memories of a Family in British Colonial Kenya

Catherine Keese

Limited-Issue, First Edition

When Catherine Keese first set out to write this book, she was full of trepidation. “How,” she asked, “would I ever be able to remember all the happenings of our lives back then, and more importantly the nuance of it all? Could I accurately portray the magnificent, equatorial landscape we called home, or the vastness of the African sky? Could I relate what life was like under the forbearance of Africa’s natural order where man, beast, and the elements lent constant danger and exhilaration to every hour of every day? Would I be able to adequately explain the fragility of our political posture and prospects? And could I do justice to the colorful characters who shared with us the anxieties and rewards of life in a British colony? I think I was horrified that I might end up with a book that defined mundaneness—like Lionel Hardcastle’s proverbial My Life in Kenya in the TV series ‘As Time Goes By’.”

In this fascinating book, told with great candor and humor, she adds: “. . . for better or worse, I offer the story of our family in Kenya, and the fascinating, pivotal times in which we lived. While told from my personal perspective, it is the record of a Scottish family’s evolution from its working-class roots in Glasgow, through emigration, war, jubilation, illness, defiance, loss, and redemption. It is also the tale of life on a Kenya farm with all its trials and tribulations. Yet what remains for me is a picture of sun-drenched exuberance under that vast African sky—a Van Gogh painting whose bold, profuse brushstrokes and vibrant colors are the distillation of times gone by and all that happened to us. It’s a happy canvas that I gaze at a lot.”

“Dr. Havlicek writes with passion,
intelligence,and clarity, creating a book with
provocative insights,interesting connections,
and lessons about thepreciousness of life.
It will inspire you!”

Van Gogh’s Untold Journey

Revelations of Faith, Family,
& Artistic Inspiration

William J. Havlicek, Ph.D.

Limited Issue, First Edition

Art historian and lecturer William J. Havlicek’s acclaimed book Van Gogh’s Untold Journey is based largely on Vincent’s astonishing letters of which over 900 exist. This important work, the result of over 15 years of research, provides new insight into the artist’s true character nurtured from his abiding faith, the influence of family, and the tender solicitude he felt for mankind. The book also holds some compelling revelations, among them the artist’s vicarious relationship with Charles Dickens, his early days as a missionary in the Borinage mining region of Belgium, and his fraught, often volatile, relationship with Paul Gaugin. Perhaps most revealing is Havlicek’s discovery of how the inspired words of Victor Hugo, embodied in one of the characters in his classic Les Misérables, gave Van Gogh the idea for one of his most celebrated paintings of all: The Starry Night.

The book also dispels much of the myth that has come to surround Vincent’s tumultuous life. In the words of the author, “The letters reveal an unknown, adventurous, deeply compassionate Vincent whose essence seems to have been lost in the dramatic and often apocryphal stories surrounding his illness and early death. My effort therefore was to unveil these unknown aspects of Vincent—ones that are even heroic and certainly praiseworthy.”

“Dr. Havlicek offers an intimate perspective on the life of Van Gogh through an examination of Vincent’s personal letters to his family. I enjoyed learning about Vincent’s faith, his struggles in relationships with others and with God, and how he translated life’s issues into his artwork. The book itself is gorgeous, full of large color plates that accompany the text. Holding this book in your hands feels like holding something of top quality. Open the book to any passage, and the sense of quality is reinforced through the content. Dr. Havlicek writes with passion, intelligence, and clarity, creating a book with provocative insights, interesting connections, and lessons about the preciousness of life. It will inspire you!” ~ Amazon Reviewer Tiburon SC

Van Gogh and Nuenen

Available in both English and Dutch

Ton de Brouwer

First Edition in English

Vincent van Gogh lived and worked in Nuenen from December 1883 to November 1885. In retrospect, his stay in Nuenen was one of the most important and most productive periods in his life. He chose to take the daily hard life of his fellow man as the starting point for his painting. With great dedication, he made 194 paintings in Nuenen, including the now famous Potato Eaters, 313 drawings, 25 watercolors and 19 letter sketches. In Nuenen, there is still much to see from the period when Vincent and his family lived here. In the town’s museum (the Vincentre), Nuenen’s history of Vincent is brought together in words and images with faithfully reproduced photographs, paintings, drawings and letters. In addition, Nuenen itself and its surroundings form a collection in itself. No less than 21 buildings and landscapes have a direct relationship with Vincent’s two-year stay in Nuenen. Of those 21 objects, 14 have been painted or drawn by Vincent at least once. The other 7 buildings were not painted by him, but were mostly the houses where many of his ‘models’ lived. Some landscapes in the immediate vicinity still breathe the atmosphere of his time, and various routes along which he walked pass through this living collection, looking very much like they did over 100 years ago.

The 2nd edition of Van Gogh en Nuenen in Dutch has been sold out for some time. But Ton de Brouwer and Creative Storytellers have now collaborated on a Third Edition, greatly enhanced with over 180 color images, and this First Edition in English. This is a wonderful story for both connoisseurs and those interested in Van Gogh, written by a passionate connoisseur and expert on one of history’s most charismatic artists.

Daniil’s Tigers

A Novel Based on Real Events & Circumstances.

A Story of Desperation, Survival, Kindness and Redemption
in the Lives of Four Exploited and Abused Kids, and how
One Man Helped to Redefine Their Destinies.

Thousands of children around the world are victims of transnational organised crime syndicates and individuals that profiteer from their trafficking, enslavement, and sexual exploitation. These criminal entities not only exploit children in real environments; they have also created a highly sophisticated subculture in cyberspace on both the supply and the demand side that is extremely difficult to track and intercept. Their illicit dealings in child exploitation often involve corrupt political and governmental figures, judges, doctors, lawyers and police officers—typically those in positions of power and influence.

Based on real happenings and circumstances, this story tells of the desperate existence of four boys enslaved and exploited by a major organized crime ring, the horrors they must endure, and how they exist from day-to-day with little hope of salvation. But a chance encounter with one man, a retired intelligence officer, changes everything as he teaches them how to fight back in an effective, astute way using his knowledge of modern technology and his training in fieldcraft. Above all, he helps restore their dignity, and demonstrates how kindness, redemption and an indomitable spirit can lead them out of the dark underworld in which they live to a life of happiness and fulfillment.

While a work of fiction, this story is told in a unique style by writer David A. Glen, drawing from personal experiences and also as Director of Strategic Operations for CTECC, a global tactical initiative to end the trafficking and exploitation of children by today’s multicultural and highly competitive mafia. In his narrative, Glen demonstrates how organized criminals have developed a potent reach into sectors of our government, how they can interpose themselves into our daily lives and, more importantly, how easily they can gain access to our children.

“I just love dogs. This is because theygive you unconditional love, companionship,loyalty, playfulness, eagerness to please,and have a very forgiving nature …all the things we look for in people.”

The Blue Rabbit & Other Dog Affairs

Michael L. Jacques, MFA

Limited-Issue, First Edition, Signed & Numbered

“Michael L. Jacques is one of those singular people whose very persona packs immense delight into the most common of experiences. And his art delivers the same experience along with a helping of vibrant color that in itself makes one smile. In The Blue Rabbit, this seems to be one of the many lessons that Michael is teaching us through the agency of his gifted brush: brilliant color orchestration, dramatic perspective, and a light-saturated palette. Yet he goes much further. Michael has taken the time to include small gems for those studying art with revealing thoughts on philosophy and aesthetics, illustrations of how he constructed a painting from concept to completion, and examples of initial studies alongside completed works. And he imbues his prose with the candor and humor for which he is known and loved! This book—like Michael’s persona itself—is straight from the heart!”

“We hope you will take full advantage of this
highly rewarding online resource, and keep abreast
of the latest in printing and publishing know-how;
glean fresh ideas and from talented and experienced
book designers and graphic artists; discover new and
effective ways to get books into their target markets and,
if you’re a self-publishing author, maintain full control
over your book from concept to completion.”

Book Publishing Today

Book Production from Concept to Completion.

BOOK PUBLISHING TODAY is an innovative and well-informed onlineresourcedesigned to pique the interests of a broad spectrum of readers from seasoned writersand editors, to publishing aficionados, self-publishing authors, knowledgeable marketingexecutives, talented graphic designers, and the burgeoning direct-mail and fulfillment business.And BOOK PUBLISHING TODAY can be accessed online free of charge.*

In recent years, we have seen a revolution in the publishing industry, and a sharp reduction in the cost of books in print. The paradigm has drastically changed thanks mostly to major advances in digital printing technology. Gone are the days when traditional printing companies, those with enormous investments in expensive lithographic presses and binding equipment, required large minimum print runs in order to justify low unit costs. And gone are the days when large publishing houses had to stockpile books in vast quantities (and the inherent costs), and give away nearly 50% of the profits to distributors and middlemen.

Not only did printers with this expensive capital equipment witness a worrisome surge towards electronic books; they had to face the advent of print-on-demand equipment such as the Indigo® digital printing technology, pioneered by an Israeli company that was acquired by Hewlett-Packard. These presses offer one-book-at-a-time printing and binding, at a reasonable unit cost, and using a machine that could virtually fit in your living room.

Traditional lithographic printers had to regather their wits, and find solutions to compete, and in many cases to actually survive. The revolution in prepress technology helped their cause. Digital remedies made expensive film output, and conventional plate making, almost redundant. This alone took virtually half the cost out of print production. Printing press manufacturers went back to the drawing board and adapted their equipment for quicker setup and easier cleanup to facilitate shorter runs. Consolidating deals with paper manufacturers also produced more flexibility, since the paper companies, too, were faced with imminent losses if something wasn’t done to support the traditional printer.

The result has been a resurgence in paper books (and other print collateral such as magazines) simply because publishers can now entertain short print runs at reasonable per-unit prices. A small publishing house can now publish 500 or 1,000 books at a time, see how they perform in the marketplace, and go into reprint if necessary with a telephone call or email message. And any errors or omissions can be corrected in subsequent print runs. This has had a real impact on the rise of electronic books. Yet it’s important to cater to all needs. Younger generations are, to a great extent, reading on mobile devices. They still have good eyes! But a large portion of readers today are committed to print media; they love the feel of a good book, the smell of its paper, and the sense of ownership. There’s plenty of room in the market for both electronic and print versions.

Notwithstanding the above, book publishing today is far more complex than one would think if—and this is important—we are to maintain the highest standards in our writing and in the production of our books. But keeping up with the ever-morphing technology and methodology is challenging to say the least.

BOOK PUBLISHING TODAY, with its continually evolving, thoughtful and insightful content, keeps up for you. We hope you will take full advantage of this highly rewarding online resource, and keep abreast of the latest in printing and publishing know-how; glean fresh ideas and from talented and experienced book designers and graphic artists; discover new and effective ways to get books into their target markets and, if you’re a self-publishing author, maintain full control over your book from concept to completion.